In order to stimulate your baby's brain growth during the first two years of life, The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests that parents dance with their baby every day. Who am I to stand in the way of my baby's brain growth? So dance, baby. Dance. Dance. Dance.

Monday, December 14, 2009

Okay, so anyone else's baby get totally star-struck when the camera is on? Ours started at just a few weeks old whenever the camera was on him. We thought it could be the light from the camera, but covering that only worked for 1 taping when he ignored it--then he wisened up.

I guess it probably does look quite strange, this dark circular abyss that is held up toward one's face. But even when we film from far away, to the side, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible, somehow, the magnetic field draws our baby's eyes to the camera. And then he stops. Sometimes he'll smile, as in this video, but often, he just completely stops. Everything. No matter what way you turn him, his head faces the camera. His body calms down, his face goes blank, and he stares. Or tries to eat the camera, if he's within a few feet of it. When he was crying once, we even turned on the camera just to see if he'd stop. And yup, it worked. The allure of the magic box was enough to distract him from his tears.

So anyway. Here is Buddy Dan, dancing away to his own soundtrack. Grandpa chimes in for a bit to get him started, as well. We dig it.

Saturday, October 24, 2009

I would be remiss as Blog Editor of Dancing with Baby if I did not include this famous video of a diapered baby dancing to the ever-popular Beyonce. This single baby has drawn over 3 1/2 million viewers on youtube and even made his way to Time online. Corey was 13 months old at the time (not even walking yet), and gave us this memorable dance at his grandmother's house in New Zealand. As his website says, "The TV was tuned to NZ music channel C4 at the time, and when Cory noticed Beyonce’s music video 'Single Ladies' he crawled over and began to dance!" And soon, the whole world was watching!

Thursday, October 22, 2009

At one month post-pregnancy, things are not exactly as I had imagined them while carrying my baby in the womb. I suppose we all think we will have an "easy" baby. Or at least one we can meet the needs of simply by feeding, changing, sleeping, cuddling...I have not prepared myself for the baby who has all of his needs met (although sleep, admittedly, is our challenge), is loved, stimulated, and still cries. During this first month, I have not yet read Happiest Baby on the Block (although in my 2nd month post-partum, I do), so I am not yet familiar with the 5 "s"s which later shed great insight into calming the fussy baby. I love my baby to death, but there are times when I cannot, for the life of me, figure out what he needs, what he wants, what he is missing.

My husband and I are discussing this one day, and he shows me how he sometimes dances with our baby when he's alone. He demonstrates an exaggerated waltz and I start laughing hysterically. "I do the same thing!" I tell him. We both share a much-needed stomach-workout guffaw at our crazy dances, and agree, it works. Dancing works. It calms our baby, and it calms us. I often think of this image of my husband doing his frantic dance when I am alone with my crying baby and it always brings a smile to my face, and often a giggle to my lips.

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

At just 5 months, our baby loves to move. We catch him inch-worming his way around the floor and rolling every which way. No, he doesn't climb onto the coffee table himself, but he loves to stand and his feet just won't stay still. Except when the video camera is on. Then he is quick to stop everything and just stare. It's uncanny. We try to hide the red light, but he is engaged with the abyss that is the lens. Here, he still manages to shake his baby booty just a little in his green onesie declaring "When God made me, he was showing off." You tell 'em, Baby. You tell 'em.

Sunday, October 4, 2009

So I will be the first to admit it: at 39 weeks here, I love being pregnant. Yes, there is acid reflux, yes, my lower back hurts, yes, I have to get up several times a night to pee. But I love the feel of my belly, the feel of my baby moving, the emotional high of carrying something so precious. I revel in pregnancy, I savor it, I take many many pictures (I blog about it here at Baby Bouteneff). I have felt good for my pregnancy and I want to have my baby no sooner than 40 weeks because I want to eek every moment out of pregnancy. I know already, I am going to miss it.

So the Friday night before my 39th week, we have friends over for dinner, play games, and when they leave, a song comes on our stereo which makes me decide to give a final crazy pregnancy dance, because you never know when little baby will make his appearance (and he does appear only 5 days after this video). So no, I am not showing my best moves here, but I am showing my dramatic moves, and so I share. Because dancing with baby doesn't have to start post-womb.

My womb-baby gets a taste now with Sister Hazel's "Champagne High." Which I feel like I have been on for months. Minus the champagne...

I love dancing. And I love my baby. So when I read that dancing with your baby every day helps to stimulate brain growth, it seemed the perfect combination for a terrific daily release and bonding moment. Now I encourage every new and seasoned mom or dad to turn on some tunes, grab their baby, and have a fun rollick around the living room. Because dancing with baby makes some of the best music around.